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The sky was painted in shades of blue and purple, the sun setting in the background casting an ethereal glow on everything it touched. He could taste freedom in the icy air. It stung his tongue yet filled him with a sense of power he had never known before. He glanced down at his farm below, now just a speck in the distance amidst rolling hills and valleys painted white by winter's icy touch. His farmhouse was but a dot amidst a world so small yet so precious to him. This adventure felt bigger than anything he could have imagined—like stepping into destiny itself.
Every step upward felt like an achievement, and with each one, he couldn't help but think of Barrett—their connection growing stronger with each passing moment.
Up here, far from the ground and its harsh realities, there was an otherworldly peace that resonated within him. As he neared the top of the beanstalk, he could feel its power humming beneath his fingers; an almost palpable energy coursed through the vine and into his body. He paused for breath, leaning against its trunk as the wind rippled through his hair. Above him lay a kingdom of giants—a world of adventure and danger that beckoned him onward. His pulse quickened at the thought of what might await him in this magical place.
He tasted metal on his tongue from exhaustion, but adrenaline propelled him forward to reach for that kingdom that loomed so close yet so far away. His toes ached within his boots from gripping onto the vine so tightly with every step; however, he couldn't bring himself to let go of this lifeline just yet. The world below him blurred into nothingness as snowflakes fell faster now, kissing Jackson's skin like tender kisses from another realm—cool and delicate against him.
With a last burst of determination, Jackson hauled himself over the lip of the cloud canopy.
The world around him changed entirely. In place of green fields and towering trees were rolling hills covered in ruins, blackened stumps poking through charred earth like rotten teeth. The sky was filled with streaks of thick orange light from a setting sun that bled across the clouds like blood on snow, casting an eerie glow over the scarred land. The ground rumbled beneath him as giants paced through their territory, their hulking forms stirring up great clouds of gray smoke from trampled buildings and shattered stone. It was not the grand kingdom he had expected, but a world ravaged by war. Bodies were scattered everywhere, twisted metal, and broken dreams. The air smelled of ash and copper from spilled blood while magic danced around him in flickers of lightning, casting shadows that made even the most mundane objects seem sinister.
Slowly sitting up, Jackson scanned his new surroundings with wide eyes; torn between amazement and terror at this strange new reality. His heart thundered in his chest as if it wanted to burst free as he took stock of his situation—no longer just an adventurer seeking fortune but a human among giants who must forge alliances or perish. A whisper of wind brushed past his cheek like a lover's touch before vanishing into the abyss between two crumbling towers where once there had been beauty.
The skyline was dominated by gaping wounds that looked like they had been made by some terrible weapon. Towering pillars of ice jutted out from the ground like frozen fingers reaching for the heavens themselves. Piles upon piles of rubble dotted what used to be towns and cities; only here and there did he catch glimpses of hope - small groups huddled together for warmth under makeshift shelters or running towards wherever safety might lie. It was clear this place had been through hell and back already, but it didn't seem ready to let go anytime soon.
Clutching onto this vine like a lifeline, Jackson swung down towards one such cluster of survivors - a group huddled around a small fire, trying to stay warm amidst the chill seeping into their bones. They looked up at him warily but welcomed him with open arms when they saw his battered form. He let out a shaky breath once he felt safe enough before asking what had happened here.
"Giants," one woman said softly as she handed him hot stew, "but they've mostly left us alone now." Her eyes glinted with pain and fear as she gestured towards an endless expanse beneath them where giants still fought among themselves for territory or spoils from their conquests below.
He couldn't see how humans fit into their twisted games yet but knew he must try if he wanted answers about what lay ahead.
"The prince," he asked around a mouthful of stew that held no flavor but offered warmth. "Was he here?"
"At one point, yes," a man around his age responded. But now? We have no way of knowing."
"Then I'll find him," he set the bowl of warm stew down on the rock and moved out, determined to find the man who he came for.
Jackson looked around and saw that the sky was still filled with the sounds of chaos as if a storm had just passed or was about to strike. The clouds moved and whipped around him, occasionally blotting out the sunlight before revealing it again. He bent down and picked up a stick, using it to help him navigate through the shimmering landscape of the clouds.
He paused when he heard a soft song coming from somewhere above - birds flying towards him, perhaps? No - it was Lark dropping out of a burning tree.
"I can't find Barrett," he replied grimly, scanning the area with fresh determination, "Have you seen him?"
She shook her head slowly. "No, but I haven't searched far." With that, they set off once more, following any sign they could find—footprints or broken plants leading them deeper into this strange new world filled with wonder and peril.
Eventually, they were deep inside the destroyed town. Broken homes scattered around them like discarded toys while grotesque creatures lurked in shadows or flew overhead on majestic beasts that could only exist here within these clouds.
Jackson stumbled upon something shining among the rubble, a dagger half-buried in stone. Its hilt embedded deeply within cracks in a boulder nearby. Just inches away lay an injured form clad all in black leather armor with eyes as blue as the sky.
"Barrett!"
Gasping deeply for breath as if waking from slumber, his eyes locked onto Jackson's face immediately.
Jackson scrambled to get to the man he'd searched for, desperate to know if he was bordering on life or death.
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
"The giants," Barrett swallowed, his eyes going out of focus as the familiar terror wrapped around him. "When you and I did not return, he came. He came with half his damn army—which is far more than my father's army could defeat. Thorne, he went for help."
Barrett winced as pain screamed from the wound in his side. He didn't dare move his hand. There was no telling how quickly blood would seep out if he removed the cloth covering the injury.
"When did this start?" Terror lined Jackson's words.
Barrett closed his eyes, unable to keep them open against the pain if he also needed to speak.
"About a week ago. My father's army—my army—was able to hold them back at first. It wasn't until a few days ago that they came back. I had to help. My father tried to go, but this was my fault. I wouldn't let him fight against these giants again.
